About fifty thousand (50,000) pulmonary surgical procedures are performed annually. At least twenty-five percent (25%) of these patients experience air leaks after surgery. Such air leaks prevent full pulmonary function. Moreover, such air leaks are the most common cause of delayed discharge. The discharge of about fifteen percent (15%) of pulmonary surgery patients is delayed at least 7 days.
A study of 319 patients from January, 1998 to July 2001 experienced air leaks in fifty-eight percent (58%). About fifty percent of these patients experienced air leaks 3 days after surgery.
Risk factors for prolonged hospitalization include increased age, smoking, use of steroids, and use of chemo/radiation therapy. Underlying pulmonary diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, bullous disease, and pulmonary fibrosis. As a general matter, air leaks cause increased morbidity, increased infection, increased rate of BP fistula, increased hospitalization, and increased cost.